Contra Costa County’s beautiful open spaces and shoreline host hundreds of different species of birds. Every weekend you’ll find birders on the trails hoping for sightings of their favorites.

Since March, 20 volunteers from the Mount Diablo Audubon Society have been doing more than just birding. They’re watching for birds, of course, but they’re also tracking when they nest, when flowers bloom and when insects are present. It’s all part of a nationwide research project to gauge the long-term impacts of climate change on the larger ecosystem. For example, a shift in seasonal timing of plant and insect cycles could result in fewer available bugs and a food crisis for the birds.

Of course, we’ve seen a lot of changes in our own area lately, mostly due to the drought. Hillsides have turned brown early, and there’s little or no water in our streams and very little food for the birds. As a result, we’re not observing some of our favorite birds in the numbers we’ve seen in the past.

Climate change is hitting our birds hard. According to Audubon’s scientists, 170 California species will be threatened with extinction in the coming decades if we fail to take action on climate. Many of these imperiled birds are local favorites, such as the Western Bluebird, Golden Eagle, Brown Pelican, Burrowing Owl and Hooded Oriole.

Audubon analyzed more than 40 years of historical North American climate data and millions of historical bird records from the U.S. Geological Survey’s North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count to understand the links between where birds live and the climatic conditions that support them. Of 588 bird species examined in the study, 314 species are considered at-risk. Hundreds of species not previously considered at risk will be challenged to survive in a climate-changed future.

Outdoor recreation and tourism are an important part of California’s economy. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, birders spend more than $40 billion on equipment and travel — and a large proportion of that is taking place in California. The most recent report from the American Lung Association gave Contra Costa County a “C” grade for air pollution — just passing. And other parts of the Bay Area didn’t fare much better. As an organization dedicated to enjoying the beauty of nature, we in Audubon are pained to think that for millions of Californians, it’s actually often unsafe to go outdoors.

California’s communities, wildlife and natural landscapes will change dramatically over the next several decades due to population growth and climate change. We need to make investments in clean energy and nature that help birds and other wildlife maintain healthy populations while bolstering our state’s economy. We need bold commitments now to be prepared.

The California state Senate recently approved a slate of bills that would reduce our use of fossil fuels and set ambitious targets for renewable energy use. These bills are important to us, not just because of the predicted impacts of global warming on birds, but because of what air pollution is doing to communities throughout the state.

The core of the state Senate climate package — Senate Bills 32 and 350 — is working its way through the state Assembly now. Our local assemblywoman, Susan Bonilla, holds a key vote on these bills. We urge her to vote yes. It will serve the best interests of our community — and our birds — for this legislation to reach the governor’s desk.